Come Find Me
by BrandNewWings
Summary: Hide doesn't know how long he's been doing this. It felt like years. The half-ghoul's body has been ripped up, pierced, burned, melted, and beaten in ways people would never begin to fathom. And because of Hide's newly acquired regenerative abilities, he will become whole again just so the humanized demon will begin the process all over again.
1. Chapter 1

_**WARNING! This story will have intense scenes of violence and possible triggers. This is a dark story with some cute scenes but barely. (For now at least). The story contains torture and gore. Again, read with caution!**_

* * *

 **Come Find Me**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - Periodic Tables and Elastic Hearts**

* * *

A young man sat in a pure white room. It was nearly blinding. There were no windows, no sounds, and no other colors except for white. Time was irrelevant in this place, and the room was naturally bright so night and day were things of myth. The male was isolated from all forms of contact; including most of the people who held him in there. The only sounds he heard were from the man that tortured him and his own breathing. Not even a trace of the young man's blood can be seen. There wasn't any sound of air blowing. There is nothing but pure white and silence that left an annoying ringing in the man's ears.

There are times where the man will bite into his own lip if it means he will catch a glimpse of beautiful red. Sadly, the bleeding is quick to stop due to the incredible healing abilities the man has gained since he's been held captive. His hair isn't as vibrant as it used to be, though it is much longer than he last remembered. White strands weaved through soft honey creating a heathery look like in fabrics. His skin was paling close to the color on the wall as his bones highlighted every inch of his body; the poor man was starving. In the beginning, the man would scream until he lost his voice. It wasn't long before he lost his mind.

"How far are you willing to go today my little ant?" A voice asked from behind the beaten man.

The man said nothing in reply. He knew what was coming regardless if he spoke or not. It was the same every single time this demon came to _'chat'_.

"Aaaw, what's the matter? I thought you'd be happy to chat with another person besides yourself; or have you stopped doing that as well?" The voice continued to talk with a sickening cheerfulness. "I suppose I'll have to change that because what I have planned requires your ability to still comprehend words and speech. I bet you don't even remember your own name."

"Hideyoshi." The man mumbled in an almost-lost voice.

"Toss that away. You aren't _Hideyoshi Nagachika_ anymore. You aren't a human anymore. You are newly made – _reborn_! You will become my little army ant. You will be, Eciton." The voice became more excited as it spoke. It caused a shiver to go down Hide's spine.

"Take your tyrannical ideals and shove them up your ass." Hide tried to growl.

There was a long silence after Hide's remark. Hide almost believed that the man was gone – _almost_. The newly made half ghoul could still feel the man's breath on the back of his neck. He could still _smell_ his wretched stench.

"My my, what a mouth you have!" The tormentor mocked. "I'll be nice and let you off with a warning, Eciton."

"My name's….Hide…" Hide corrected. At this point, Hide didn't care what was happening around him. He forgot how he even got into this situation. He forgot what his own reflection looks like. Hide doesn't remember what Kaneki looks and sounds like. At times, the half-ghoul really _did_ forget his name. There were neither sounds nor scenes to remind him of memories outside of the white room. His patience was being forced thin.

"Neon, calcium, zinc, zirconium, tin, neodymium, ytterbium, and mercury. Remember them in that order. They are the elements on the periodic table by tens. Once you get those down, well move on to naming every ninth element on the table to the eighth and so on. Each time, you will start with the tens. "The crazed man said. Hide could hear rustling from behind him followed by metal rubbing against metal.

"If I get them wrong?" Hide challenged the humanized demon. Hide refers to the man as a _'demon'_ since the psychotic man was far from being humane.

"Punishment." The demon answered casually. "So," the man walked around Hide's sitting body and hovered in Hide's personal space. The demon wore all white and a medical face mask. "Start naming the list. If you get them all correct, there will be a reward."

"Yeah, and what would that be? You going back to hell?" Hide tried like everything to keep his fiery spirit aflame.

"No." The demon brushed off Hide's words and held up a sharp object. With a swift motion, blood was dribbling from the man's wrist and onto Hide. The scent was intoxicating and a sharp pain electrified Hide's nerves. The demon's blood dripped on Hide's clothing, on his collar, neck, face, and finally on his lower lip. The droplet slowly slid inside Hide's mouth and triggered Hide's body to spasm uncontrollably. "You'll get to eat. I don't believe you've been properly fed since you've arrived here."

"Where is _here_?" Hide asked with a choked gasp.

"Look around you, Eciton. You're nowhere." The demon chimed, looking around the blank room.

Hide ignored the man after that. He swiped his tongue across his lower lip in hopes of tasting more blood. Before Hide retracted his tongue, filthy fingers grabbed it tightly. Hide could feel his tongue drying up from the over exposed contact with the air.

"Start naming them." The demon ordered. There were no emotions on his face. It made Hide slightly nervous when the demonic man switched instantaneously to new emotions.

"But I can't when you're holding my tong – AAAAAAAAGH!" Hide let out a blood curdling screech when the demon cut into Hide's tongue with a pair of old rusty sewing scissors. The pain was unimaginable. Hide could feel his blood rushing down his throat.

"I _will_ cut the rest of it off. You're tongue has been spouting off nothing but rude comments. Plus," The bloody scissors were adjusted over the remaining piece of Hide's tongue. "I wonder if half ghouls can choke on their own blood."

"N-N-N-Neo-o-on…" Hide gasped for breath. His tears were streaming as his blood kept choking him off. The half-ghoul could feel part of his tongue lying limply on his mouth and chin. It almost made Hide throw up. "C-Calcium…..Z-Z-Zinc…." More cries and whimpers came from Hide. "Zirconium-m…..t-tin…." The man slowly removed the sewing scissors from Hide's tongue. Hide's chin and neck were drenched in blood. "N-N-Neon-"

"WRONG!" The man proclaimed. Instead of using his scissors, the doctor ripped off the rest of Hide's tongue.

Hide let out ear splitting screams that died down to gurgling. The half-ghoul stomped his feet and curled his toes and fingers. The greying blond hung his head to avoid drowning in his own blood. The man tossed Hide's severed tongue to the ground. Red was beginning to stain white.

"Well try it again when you can speak properly." The man said.

The demonic human left Hide to scream in unrelenting agony.

* * *

 **Tokyo Ghoul**

* * *

Hide doesn't know how long he's been doing this. It felt like years. The half-ghoul's body has been ripped up, pierced, burned, melted, and beaten in ways people would never begin to fathom. And because of Hide's newly acquired regenerative abilities, he will become whole again just so the demon will begin the process all over again. At one point, Hide shared the same suffering as Kaneki. Only instead of a centipede crawling in his head, it was a wasp. Hide can still hear the clicking and snapping of legs; the constant buzzing that drove him mad.

Hope is completely lost for Hide. There would be no rescue squad coming for him. Not when Kaneki is terrorizing the CCG with his new group of friends. Kaneki probably forgot about Hide. Perhaps he never cared about the blond. If Kaneki was looking out for Hide, then why hasn't he come for the blond yet? Was Hide really this alone in the world where no one would notice his absence? Hide shows endless devotion to the ones he loves, but why don't they show it back?

 _You're unwanted._

Thoughts like this constantly crept into Hide's mind. This resulted in Hide's rambling list of elements from the periodic table. It helped distract his mind.

"Neon, calcium, zinc, zirconium, tin, neodymium, ytterbium, and mercury, fluorine-" Hide listed.

 _You're a nuisance._

"Shut up." Hide whispers.

 _You'll never be saved._

"Shut up." Hide growls.

 _You deserve this._

"I said shut up!" Hide shouts closing his eyes tight. He didn't want to hear anymore!

 _You're a monster._

"SHUT UP!" Hide screams, bashing his head back against the chair. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

 _Unloved. All alone._

"SHUT UP!" The half-ghoul sobbed.

The man came into the room with a tray displaying different devices of torture. A smile was plastered on the demon's face. It was as if the man knew what Hide was thinking at that time, because the next thing the demon says breaks any kind of fight the half-ghoul had left.

"I've just been informed that Kaneki Ken has been killed during battle." The man says setting things up around Hide and starting a small fire beneath the half-ghoul's chair.

"No…" Hide says.

"Oh yes, wasn't he a close pal of yours? By your expression, it would seem so." The man backs away from Hide.

The half-ghoul could feel his seat slowly becoming warm. The warming metal began to feel uncomfortable for Hide's thighs and legs. It didn't take long for Hide to recoil into himself from the scorching heat.

"Kaneki's alive!" Hide shouted biting his lip.

"You've been in this room for almost a month, if not, a little longer. You have nothing to prove me wrong. What I just told you is the first bit of news you've heard in _days_. Be grateful!" The man barked out the last few words.

The heat was excruciating!

"Kaneki's not dead! He can't be!" Hide was trying to reassure himself more than anything at this point.

"Even though he's part ghoul, it doesn't mean he's immortal. He can still die and so can you." The man removed the fire out from beneath Hide just as its flames were beginning to lick Hide's legs. But the demon kept the fire blazing. He held up an iron rod and stuck the end in the fire until it glowed. The man pulled the rod out of the flames and held it up close to Hide's face. "Start."

"Neon, calcium, zinc, zirconium, tin, neodymium, ytterbium, and mercury, fluorine, argon, cobalt, bromine-" Hide was cut off by the man shoving the glowing iron into his right eye.

"Incorrect! Start over or else it'll be your other eye!" The man rests the iron against Hide bare neck.

Hide shrieked.

"You're taking too long!" The man shouts.

The demon shoves the glowing rod into Hide's other eye. Hide thrashed about in his steel chair. The man clicked his tongue and kicked the small container, which held the fire, back under Hide's chair. Hide's was once again left in his own misery.

* * *

 **Tokyo Ghoul**

* * *

"Kill me." Hide's faint voice said in the empty room. "Somebody please kill me. Kill me. Please kill me."

No one replied to Hide. All he saw was the same old blinding white that showed signs of red stains ghosting the floors. The half-ghoul's eyes were gradient orbs of brown; his hair was dominantly white, but still had the familiar golden tint to it. As Hide spoke, his facial expressions remained the same. It was as if he wasn't looking at anything; Hide just kept repeating similar lines of a defeated and broken soul.

Every day, Hide is reminded that Kaneki is dead. Every day, Hide reminds himself how much he's failed Kaneki. Every day Hide forgets why he's still fighting to stay alive.

 _"Please kill me. I can't take anymore. It hurts. Kaneki's gone. He's gone." Hide whimpers._

 _"Be careful what you wish for." A smiling voice is heard._

 _Everything fades out to black as a sickening sound echoes in the room._

The film cuts off and is automatically ejected from the player. Static fills the television screen. Kaneki stood there shaking from fear, sorrow, anger, and confusion by what he just saw. Hide was a half-ghoul? How didn't he know Hide was missing? How long has he been dealing with the torture? Is he still being tortured? Is he….dead? A whimpering growl came from the back of Kaneki's throat. Hide's time of torture makes Kaneki's look like a trip to Disneyland. If Kaneki broke after ten days of torture, how broken is Hide's soul? Would he even still be Hide?

It doesn't matter what state Hide will be in! Kaneki will help him back up. He will get Hide to walk on his own two feet again. Hide would do the same! Kaneki's secret be damned. This is Hide's life!

 _Hide is Hide!_

Video tapes were mailed to him earlier today. After some consideration, Kaneki decided to watch the mysteriously tapes. Once Hide appeared, Kaneki knew what was destined to happen in the videos. The half-ghoul toughed it out and watched it to the end. Kaneki saw the kakugan, the way Hide salivated for human flesh, the way Hide's sanity was slowly being stripped away, and the way Hide finally broke in the end. Kaneki doesn't know if Hide is alive nor what happened at the end of the last video. It cut out right when that damned human entered the room.

Tears streamed down Kaneki's face. There was a small note at the bottom of the package that gave Kaneki hope.

 _ **Come save him. That is, if he recognizes you.**_

"Hide, just wait a little longer." Kaneki cracked his knuckle as his kagune shot out of his back. One of the tentacles pierced through the tape. "I won't let him break anymore of you."


	2. Three Choices

_**Come Find Me**_

 _(Part II)_

* * *

Multiple screams and curses from various voices fill the room that once held a beaten blond. The same white room that is now painted red and has different instruments of torture laid about. Cracks and claw marks are strewn across the walls. Body parts are tossed everywhere like clothing in a bedroom.

Instead of one chair in the room, there are now five stationed in each corner of the room and the fifth chair in the center. Each "patient" is blindfolded with thick, black cloths and their ears are covered with earmuffs that block out every sound. This heightened the unsuspecting ghouls' sense in smell, touch, and taste.

It wasn't just the disorienting effect that disturbed most of the ghouls. It was how they were tortured that drove them mad. Various human foods were force fed to the ghouls with no where else to regurgitate it but on themselves. Horrible scents were spread in the room; multiple scents were usually mixed together to over stimulate the ghouls' noses. Small cuts felt like gashes and gashes felt like nothing else they'd thought possible. The removal of limbs and organs was enough to almost make the ghouls pass out from sheer pain, almost.

The torturer is not the old demon from before. He's gained a few new lackeys that perform the experiments for him. Each ghoul is given a new name that redefines their existence.

An army is slowly being formed in the abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city. An army of warrior ants at the beck and call of their master and creator is going undetected by the CCG. It is the colony without a queen but one king. Once the army has gathered enough resources, it will march on to its next destination, striking fear in the hearts of man and animal. The blackness in the army's hearts makes the angels turn away from giving the ghouls' redemption, and it makes even Lucifer himself tremble and bow before them. They are Dante's ants.

Each newly gained soldier has his own room of gruesome entertainment. This factory line was made possible by the downfall of the blond half-ghoul. His demise triggered the rise of Dante's army. It is all thanks to Hideyoshi Nagachika.

* * *

 **Before**

* * *

 _"It's a trick! You're just giving me a false sense of hope!" Hide growls as he glares at the smiling man before him._

 _"You said you wanted to die and for me to kill you, but I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to give you three choices. You'll either die by my hands, or you'll try to live your life outside these walls as if nothing happened." The man explains as he straightens the jacket flaps to Hide's coat._

 _"What's the third choice?" The blond half-ghoul asks with a weary expression._

 _"One that you'll most likely make without me even telling you what it is." The demon types in a few buttons on the padlock and a loud; whine comes from the chains and gears above. The huge garage door to the factory opens up. "Now go."_

 _Once the doors are open past eye level, Hide's vision is slammed by lights of the nearby city. Street lights, car head lights, lights from the windows of shops and apartments, and even the moonlight hurt Hide. It's been a long time since Hide's seen an abundance of lights all at once. Hide's heart sank in dread as he noticed how his eyes refused to adjust completely to the lights._

 _"Come on." The man directed the half-ghoul to a car. The human opened up the passenger door to the car. "I'll take you out for a drive through the city. Maybe you'll change your mind after seeing the beauties of the world."_

 _"You. What makes you, a human, so sure that I, a ghoul, won't just kill you right now?" Hide asks. He wasn't being harsh about it, but Hide was genuinely curious about this._

 _"Simple. I'm the only one that knows how you tick. I know you better than I know myself. You can only count on me for guidance. That is why you won't kill me. That is why you will protect me." The man responds still holding the car door open._

 _"I won't get in a car with a man whose name I do not know." Hide states._

 _"Dante is my name and the only name you'll need to know from me. First, middle, and last names do not concern me. You will refer to me as Dante and nothing else if you value your tongue." Dante smirked at the last choice of words. "But I suppose you can always grow it back to speak against me again anyways."_

 _Hide just glares daggers at his tormentor. The root of Hide's suffering and new life was all because of this man. Dante claims that Hide will not kill him and has the gall to say that Hide will protect Dante._

 _Hide remains silent and enters the vehicle. Dante shut the car door with a soft slam and walked around to the driver's side. Aside from the brightness of the world around Hide, the sense of touch was going into overdrive. With what Hide could make out through half squinted eyes, there were no leaves on the trees around the factory. The familiar chirping of insects was but a whisper to the ears of the half-ghoul. The biggest indication that leads to Hide's suspicions is how much the air stings Hide's skin. The familiar bitterness of winter hangs over Hide's body like a blanket. The shivers rake up and down the half-ghoul's body to the point of Hide's body aching._

 _The half-ghoul's breath came out in visible mists. The frigid leather car seats clung to Hide's skin like tape. Each time the blond wanted to move his legs, his skin would peel itself away from the fabric. Hide didn't want to see or feel anything anymore. It was too much._

 _Dante finally opened and closed his car door. The keys clinked and jingled around in Dante's hands like the loudest of bells in Hide's head. The sound of pushing the car key in the ignition echoed in the car. Hide prepared himself for the big moment. Dante turned his wrist and started the engine. The loud roar announcing that the car has come to life. In Hide's ears, it sounded like some prehistoric beast. It hurt so much and is nearly driving him mad as the purring sound is constant now. Hide couldn't focus on anything else but the sound of the car._

 _As this is going on, Dante is already on the highway and heading towards the city. A genuine and relaxed smile on his face as Hide continues to struggle with the abrupt change of environment._

 _"So it looks like the nice gentle car ride is not to your liking?" Dante asks without looking at the disturbed ghoul next to him._

 _Dante takes the upcoming exit that'll take the two downtown. The city lights are becoming more vibrant and spectacular, and cars are crawling all over the streets in which direction. Dante turned on the car radio and the weather report came on._

 _"Why aren't you freaking out? Why am I freaking out? Is this how sensitive ghouls are to their surroundings?" Hide asks with a pained voice._

 _"Well yes and no." Dante began. "It is true that ghouls are more sensitive than humans when it comes to certain senses, but not as severe as you're reacting now. Well, not that I know of at least."_

 _"Then, why?" Hide felt like crying._

 _"Eciton, you've been away from all types of contact with society for months. You've only spoken to me, heard the same types of sounds every day, seen the same things every day, smelled the same scents every day, and only know what I tell you about. The fact that you're surviving this long outside your cell, exceeds all expectations I have about you. Most would break by now." Dante praises Hide. "So maybe you do have a chance of living out here."_

 _Dante is now cruising around the downtown city. People are laughing and chatting without a care in the world. Couples are holding hands and kissing under mistletoes. Mistletoes?_

 _It is Christmas time. The decorations are beautifully stationed along the streets and shops. Pedestrians are carrying boxes upon boxes as they continue going into more stores. Vendors are screaming at the crowds to try foods and drinks. Different music is playing from the stores, but each store played something holiday related. The spirit of the season is definitely in the air._

 _"What's the date today?" Hide asks completely ignoring the itch that's slowly forming in his stomach._

 _"December 20." Dante answers._

 _"Is it really that close to Christmas already?" Hide asks._

 _Dante looks at him intrigued._

 _"Isn't there someone that you want to celebrate the holiday with?" Dante questions the blond ghoul._

 _"Mm, perhaps my family, but we've never been that close to begin with though." Hide replies shrugging._

 _"Anybody else?" Dante pushes._

 _"Does it matter?" Hide says sharply._

 _"I guess not." Dante holds back a chuckle._

 _Dante parks in a parking garage that overlooks the dazzling city. When Hide steps out of the car, his nose is assaulted by the mouthwatering scents of human. Sure he smells Dante, but the man doesn't smell appetizing to Hide._

 _"Oh yes, when was the last time you've eaten?" Dante asks innocently. "I can't seem to remember?"_

 _"No." Hide shakes his head and looks away from the unknowing people. Hide is sure that his eye has already changed. "No. No. No."_

 _"Now, now. Why would you resist? You need to eat to survive, Eciton." Dante said._

 _"Don't patronize me!" Hide growls. "I know how I'm supposed to survive now."_

 _"Then why do you refuse what your instincts are screaming for you to do?" Dante asks. "Is this an attempt of suicide? There are simpler means to carry that out. Starvation is worse than any torture for a ghoul."_

 _"How about I eat you?" Hide threatens Dante. The half-ghoul takes a step towards the man._

 _"You could, or you could look out over the town again so you won't miss the show." Dante suggests without a trace of fear in his body and voice._

 _"What show?" Hide asks looking over the edge of the parking garage wall._

 _As if on cue, huge flakes of ice began floating down from the clouds. The snowflakes covered everything it laid on, but then it melted into nothing just to be covered by a new flake._

 _Hide is in awe by the snowfall. It's been so long since Hide's seen a huge snowfall such as this one. The half-ghoul completely forgot about everything else around him._

 _After only ten minutes, the snow began to layer itself over everything. The land before Hide was nothing but white crystals. It was beautiful, truly beautiful, but at the same time, it bothered Hide. The world has become nothing but white. Hide hates the color with a blinding fury. It is the same as how a bull despises red. The once magical wonderland is now a cruel reminder of what Hide went through for the last several months. Hide sees nothing but a white room with a bloodthirsty man._

 _The longer Hide stares at the snow, the more he forgets where he truly is. Hide is so distracted that he doesn't realize what he's actually doing outside of his mind._

 _"Eciton, I know seeing the color white makes you react with post traumatic tendencies, but you need to stop what you're doing now." Dante's voice fills Hide's head._

 _Hide comes back from his thoughts and looks around him. Cars are smashed, cement beams are nearly crumbled, and car alarms are going off. The half-ghoul's kagune is out and thrashing about. Hide jolts and tries to calm himself down._

 _"Ah! A monster!" Somebody screams from behind Hide. Without any control, Hide's bikaku darts away and pierces the human's head. The body falls with a sickening crack._

 _Hide's eyes widen and the blond crouches down into a ball. Hide rocks back and forth._

 _"I believe that answers your choices." Dante states. "You can't live out here, but you also don't want to die. There's too much potential with you, and I'm not going to let you waste it. So that brings up the third choice, Eciton."_

 _"I just killed someone." Hide trembles. "I just killed someone without even thinking about it. I just killed someone."_

 _"I can help you control yourself." Dante says crouching down in front of Hide. "If you stick with me, Eciton, you'll have better control and become the strongest ghoul this world's ever seen!"_

 _"I'm...good..." Hide whispers._

 _"Yes, Eciton, you're a good boy. A very good boy." Dante runs his fingers through Hide's pale hair. "You will grow to love white because it's a part of you now."_

 _The smell of blood is driving Hide mad._

 _"Go on and eat, Eciton. I'll wait in the car." With that, Dante stands up and enters the car, leaving Hide all alone to battle himself._

 _'Eat him!' The ghoul's senses are screaming in Hide's ears._

 _"No! I can't!" Hide mutters to himself._

 _'You killed him! He's yours! Eat him!' The voice only grew louder as Hide's resolve became weaker. 'You'll live and avenge Kaneki's death!'_

 _"Ka...neki...?" Hide whispers. "Kaneki is..." Hide looks up and locks onto the dead human before him._

 _'Kaneki is dead. You should've taken care of him. It's your entire fault. So live while Kaneki cannot!' The voice commanded._

 _"Yes." Hide agrees and crawls toward the dead body. "For...Kaneki..."_

* * *

 **Now**

* * *

Kaneki is perched on a tree branch outside of the factory. It looks like there are only a few ghouls keeping watch. To Kaneki's relief, the guards didn't look well trained and appear to be horribly fed. The ghouls' whole existences screamed 'weak'. Sneaking into the building will be a breeze.

Kaneki is leaning on his toes in preparation to leap, but he stops when pair of car headlights flash over the horizon. An old rusting car pulls up near the factory's entrance and the engine is cut off. The passenger door opens and a tall, brunette man steps out of the car. The brunette opens up the back door to the car and ushers out two people with fabric bags over their heads. The two people are obviously distressed and terrified.

The driver's side opens up, and a man with long white hair steps out. Under the street lights the white hair had golden highlights and faint brown tints near the roots. The man's sun kissed skin brought out the pale hair even more. Even with the drastic change in hair color, Kaneki knew that the man is Hide.

The ghouls are talking, and Kaneki stays absolutely still.

"This brat hasn't stopped crying since she's been in the car!" The brunette complains.

"Well can you blame her?" Hide's voice sounds like angels singing. It's been so long since Kaneki's heard that sweet voice. "She and her brother have been abducted by ghouls."

"It doesn't change the fact that it's obnoxious." The brunette scoffs.

"Insanus, you were the same way when you first came." Hide points out nonchalantly. "That being said," Hide crouches in front of the two teenagers. "They do need to hush up."

Hide signals for the bags to be removed from the two kids. The girl that is crying has long blond hair that is put in a side braid. The boy next to her has short black hair and silver eyes. It struck Kaneki at how similar the two teens reflected him and Hide.

"Hun, I would appreciate it if you'd settle down." Hide smiles at the sobbing girl.

"I just want to go home! Please let us go! We won't tell anyone about you! We promi-"The girl's voice is cut off.

Kaneki's eyes widen at the sight of the blonde girl's headless body spraying out blood all over. Hide's hand is still raised in the air from the swipe.

"I said be quiet." Hide says calmly. The little boy starts screaming.

"Hide, how broken are you?" Kaneki whispers too himself.

"Eciton, your true character is coming out again." Insanus teases as he knocks out the boy and slings him over his shoulder.

Hide stands up straight. His body is practically coated in blood. Hide brings his fingers to his mouth and licks a strand of blood from his thumb.

"I can say the same for you." Hide smiles at the brunette as if nothing happened. "Now let's take the boy inside for Dante to examine. The guards can have the girl's body."

"Don't spoil them too much, Eciton. They'll start expecting it, you know?" Insanus scolds Hide.

Kaneki can't believe what he's seeing. Hide would never take another life. _He would never!_ This isn't Hide! Kaneki needs to do something! He needs to save Hide!

As Hide grew closer to the factory entrance, a piercing scream echoed all around. Without Kaneki knowing, the half-ghoul was shouting out Hide's name and was running towards his old friend. In the blink of an eye, Kaneki's fist connected with Hide's jaw and sent the pale blond to the ground.

Hide was dazed and couldn't process what just happened. A young ghoul is straddling his waist and keeps hitting Hide. The ghoul's tears are splashing on Hide's skin as the strikes continued.

"You dumbass! What the hell are you doing? You stupid idiot!" Kaneki cried.

Though the two are finally having their reunion, Hide can't help but notice the white hair on the ghoul's head. Kaneki is so emotional about Hide, that Kaneki doesn't notice how Hide's body has become frozen.

* * *

Dedicated to **NightStory**


End file.
